Patentable/Patents/US-10635798
US-10635798

Digital device and biometric authentication method therein

PublishedApril 28, 2020
Assigneenot available in USPTO data we have
Inventorsnot available in USPTO data we have
Technical Abstract

A digital device including a camera unit; a display unit; and a controller configured to in response to a request to execute a first application on the digital device having a first security authentication level, control the camera unit to capture face image data of a target and perform a first authentication process by comparing the captured face image data with prestored face image data; and in response to a request to execute a second application on the digital device having a second security authentication level more secure than the first authentication level, control the camera unit to capture vein image data of a particular body part of the target, and perform the first authentication process and a second authentication process by comparing the captured vein image data with prestored vein image data.

Patent Claims
14 claims

Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.

1

1. A digital device, comprising: a camera unit; a display unit; and a controller configured to: in response to a request to execute a first application on the digital device having a first security authentication level, control the camera unit to capture face image data of a target and perform a first authentication process by comparing the captured face image data with prestored face image data, and in response to a request to execute a second application on the digital device having a second security authentication level more secure than the first security authentication level, control the camera unit to capture vein image data of a particular body part of the target, and perform the first authentication process and a second authentication process by comparing the captured vein image data with prestored vein image data, wherein the second authentication is performed using face vein image data extracted from the captured face image used in the first authentication, without separate shooting, wherein the camera unit comprises: a light emitting unit including a near infrared light source configured to emit near infrared light to the target, and a color light source configured to emit color light to the target; and a light receiving unit configured to detect lights reflected from the target, wherein the light receiving unit comprises: a lens unit configured to transmit and focus the lights reflected from the target; a filter unit configured to only transmit infrared light from the focused lights reflected from the target; and a detecting unit configured to detect the infrared light filtered by the filter unit, and wherein the controller is further configured to move the lens unit centering on the detecting unit in response to an auto focus control signal.

2

2. The digital device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to use the near infrared light source when capturing the vein image data.

3

3. The digital device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to only compare the captured face image data with the prestored face image data in the first authentication process.

4

4. The digital device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to: in response to a request to execute a third application on the digital device having a third security authentication level more secure than the second security authentication level, control the camera unit to capture additional vein image data of an additional particular body part of the target, and perform the first and second authentication processes and a third authentication process by comparing the captured additional vein image data with prestored additional vein image data for the additional particular body part.

5

5. The digital device of claim 4 , wherein the first application corresponds to a payment service, the second application corresponds to a gallery application, and the third application corresponds to a banking application.

6

6. The digital device of claim 1 , wherein the captured vein image data comprises at least of face vein image data, wrist vein image data, hand dorsum vein image data, finger vein image data, palm vein image data, and foot vein image data.

7

7. The digital device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to: in response to a touch input of an application icon on the display unit, display information about a security authentication level of an application corresponding to the application icon.

8

8. The digital device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to: display an authentication success notification message and a next step guide message on the display unit in response to a successful first authentication process and a successful second authentication process, respectively.

9

9. The digital device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to: display an authentication failure notification message and re-authentication message on the display unit in response to an unsuccessful first authentication process and an unsuccessful second authentication process, respectively.

10

10. A method of controlling a digital device, the method comprising: in response to a request to execute a first application on the digital device having a first security authentication level, controlling a camera unit of the digital device to capture face image data of a target and performing a first authentication process by comparing the captured face image data with prestored face image data; and in response to a request to execute a second application on the digital device having a second security authentication level more secure than the first security authentication level, controlling the camera unit to capture vein image data of a particular body part of the target, and performing the first authentication process and a second authentication process by comparing the captured vein image data with prestored vein image data, wherein the second authentication is performed using face vein image data extracted from the captured face image used in the first authentication, without separate shooting, wherein the camera unit comprises: a light emitting unit including a near infrared light source configured to emit near infrared light to the target, and a color light source configured to emit color light to the target; and a light receiving unit configured to detect lights reflecting from the target, wherein the light receiving unit comprises: a lens unit configured to transmit and focus the lights reflected from the target; a filter unit configured to only transmit infrared light from the focused lights reflected from the target; and a detecting unit configured to detect the infrared light filtered by the filter unit, and wherein the method further comprises moving the lens unit centering on the detecting unit in response to an auto focus control signal.

11

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising: using the near infrared light source when capturing the vein image data.

12

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising only comparing the captured face image data with the prestored face image data in the first authentication process.

13

13. The method of claim 10 , further comprising: in response to a request to execute a third application on the digital device having a third security authentication level more secure than the second security authentication level, controlling the camera unit to capture additional vein image data of an additional particular body part of the target, and performing the first and second authentication processes and a third authentication process by comparing the captured additional vein image data with prestored additional vein image data for the additional particular body part.

14

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the first application corresponds to a payment service, the second application corresponds to a gallery application, and the third application corresponds to a banking application.

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Patent Metadata

Filing Date

January 19, 2018

Publication Date

April 28, 2020

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Cite as: Patentable. “Digital device and biometric authentication method therein” (US-10635798). https://patentable.app/patents/US-10635798

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